On a dark road
by Teresa Lisbon 123
Summary: Late one night, Patrick Jane meets a cheerful young girl, and they get into a discussion about religion. But is this girl what she seems?


**Disclaimer: I don't own the Mentalist, just my ideas.**

**A/N: This idea has been floating around in my head for a while, and I decided to post it. So, even though I'm not sure how it'll go over, enjoy! :)**

**By the way, Jane is a little OOC towards the end, but trust me, there's a good reason for it.**

Jane grumpily walked along the street. It was late, and he knew he shouldn't be out in the middle of nowhere walking, but he hadn't had a good day.

The case had had a lot to do with religion, something he wasn't interested in.

He hadn't gotten along with any of the Christians, some of the stuff they said about sin was stuck in his mind, and it had just been a rough day.

He mindlessly pulled back his leg, spotting a rock that he really felt like kicking at that moment.

"Hey there."

He looked up, surprised. In front of him stood a woman, he guessed about twenty-five years old, who wore a beautiful smile. He was confused, as he hadn't heard anyone walking up behind him, but he simply said,

"Hey."

She walked up to him and asked,

"What's troubling you?"

He frowned.

"I guess you're a mentalist too. Well, I'm just kind of tired of, you know, all of the religious stuff."

She nodded sympathetically.

"I hear you. It gets old hearing the same speeches."

They continued walking. Finally he said,

"My wife and child were murdered. Any interest I had in religion died with them."

She seemed sad, but not really surprised.

"I understand. It's just hard to believe that a god could let that happen, huh?"

He nodded.

"Yes. Especially the all loving God that I've heard so much about."

She nodded.

"You know, I wish that that argument was enough, but unless nothing good came out of their death, nothing at all, I just don't think it's enough."

He was about to say that nothing had, when pictures popped into him mind: Pictures of the team, pictures of Sophie Miller, pictures of Kristina Frye, picture of every child they'd saved, and realized he couldn't.

He said,

"Well, what about… the fact that there is no proof?"

He had started out just trying to explain to her why he was having a bad day, but now he felt like he needed to give more evidence to this girl that was obviously unsure of what she believed.

She gently tugged one of her blonde curls.

"I don't know. Maybe be more specific?"

He thoughtfully scratched his forehead.

"Well, everything that exists is matter, yes?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

He smiled calmly.

"And matter is something you can taste, feel, hear, smell, and see. Yes?"

She smiled, now clearly comfortable.

"Yes."

He nodded.

"Have you ever seen God?"

She smiled slightly, clearly amused by the statement. He continued,

"Have you ever heard God?"

She smiled, understanding filling her eyes. He moved on.

"Have you ever felt God?"

She bit her lip, and he realized why: one of the questions he would end up asking. He would save that one for last.

"Have you ever smelled God?"

Her grin grew wider, and he felt he must return it.

"Have you ever-" He could barely finish his sentence, but managed. "Tasted God?"

The young woman laughed, and he couldn't help join her. Her laugh, he realized, was beautiful. All of the sudden, his laugh stopped, but a sparkle was in his eyes.

"Excuse me, Miss, before I can continue, I was wondering if you could tell me your name?"

She laughed even harder. Finally she calmed down and said,

"I'm sorry, here we were having this huge conversation, and I just…Oh, I'm sorry! Anyway, my name is Gabriela."

He smiled and held out his hand for her to shake.

"Patrick."

He was surprised when, instead of her shaking his hand, she hugged him. She pulled away and they resumed walking. She spoke after a few moments,

"Anyway, you were saying?"

He nodded.

"Oh, right. If you haven't seen, heard, felt, smelled, or even tasted God,"

They both paused to laugh at this.

"Why would you have a reason to think He's real?"

She smiled lightly at this, as if in agreement, before saying,

"Well, but…"

"But what?"

He asked, amazed when no irritation came out, only confusion. She responded,

"I-I haven't seen your brain!"

Confusion overtook his face.

"Huh?"

She giggled lightly at this, and he was momentarily mesmerized by the sound. She continued, breaking him from his state,

"Well, I haven't seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted your brain, but it's pretty obvious you have one!"

She smiled at him, and he couldn't tear his eyes away. Finally he literally forced himself to, and said,

"Well, good point… you know, what about…well, God supposedly made everything, right?"

She nodded, and he smiled confidently.

"So, do you believe evil exists?"

She nodded.

"Well of course! I think that what happened to your family proved that."

He nodded and continued,

"And God hates evil, yes?"

She nodded, and by the look in her eyes she knew where he was going with this now. He continued,

"So, if He hates it, why would He create it?"

She again nodded in agreement before saying,

"Well, that brings up the issue of darkness."

He looked at her in confusion. She continued,

"Well, is there darkness?"

He glanced around them and nodded.

"Obviously."

She shook her head.

"Actually, there is no real darkness. If there was, it would reach a certain point, and then it wouldn't be able to be darker. It would be 'Dark.' As is, darkness is really just the absence of light."

He nodded in agreement then answered,

"Well, that's very true, but what does that have to do with anything?"

She twisted a curl around her finger and answered,

"Well, I've heard Christians say that evil is just the absence of God."

He nodded, getting her point. She took a deep breath and said,

"Patrick, I think that it's interesting that because your wife died, you gave up religion, and yet if your wife hadn't died, you would be nowhere near here, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Patrick, if your wife hadn't died, you would still see religion as nothing but an interesting puzzle. Now, you are forced to make a decision. If it is not true, then nothing matters. You just live to die and stop existing. But if it is true, then everything matters. Because you have a future where you can be happy, or you can live in eternal death.

I know that you don't understand right now, but I really hope you will understand this: If God exists, your child is happy right now. If He doesn't exist, neither does she anymore."

Tears entered his eyes. Suddenly, the woman in front of him was almost glowing.

"Patrick, I hope you understand."

He nodded shakily.

"I-I do. I do understand. I-I want to know- what are you?"

She looked at him softly.

"I'm your friend, Patrick."

The glow seemed to grow. He shook his head.

"My normal friends don't glow!"

She giggled softly, and it was the most angelic laugh he had ever heard. 'Angelic…' he thought. He quickly pushed the thought away. There are no such things as angels, he reminded himself sharply.

She took his hand.

"You know what I am, Patrick. Don't you?"

At that, he broke. He simply couldn't take it anymore. In between sobs, he said,

"I know that you know the truth. Tell me the truth!"

The last part came out desperately. She said,

"The truth, Patrick, is that God loves you. I know He does. And He wants to save you. Will you let Him?"

She pulled the sobbing man into her arms. He whispered,

"Yes. Just, tell me how!"

She soothingly began to talk.

"You simply admit to Him that you are a sinner,"

He nodded quickly.

"I am. I know I am!"

She continued,

"Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross to save you from you sins,"

He nodded quickly.

"I-I do. I know!"

She continued,

"Pray and ask Him into your heart. It doesn't have to be long, just truthful,"

He took a deep breath and said,

"Lord, you-you know I'm a sinner, but my friend says you still want me, so please come into my life."

She nodded encouragingly.

"And this is the cool part. You confess to everyone that you have done this. In this case, confess just means 'tell everybody!' You are already saved, and your mission is to go tell others. Do you have a Bible?"

He shook his head. She reached into a purse he hadn't even noticed and said,

"Here, take this one."

She handed him a black Bible. She kissed his cheek and said,

"Read it, Patrick, I promise you, it will tell you everything you need to know."

He pulled out of her arms, was about to say something to her, and heard a 'click.' He turned toward it, and, seeing nothing, turned back to her. She was gone! On the ground he saw a piece of paper. He knelt down and picked it up. It had what he assumed was a Bible reference: Psalm 91:11-12.

He opened his Bible and started looking. He found it after a few moments, and his eyes widened. It said:

"For He will command His _angels _concerning you, to guard you in all their ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you may not strike your foot against a stone."

He looked up to the sky, tears still running down his eyes, and whispered,

"Thank you!"

A/N: Please tell me what you think, even if you hate it! :)


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